Jeha's perspective
Integrity. Perseverance. Self-Control. Indomitable spirit.
Some of the four element monk tenants repeated in steady repetition in Jeha's head, ringing boldly and clearly - as if they were the only words in all languages existing on Toril. Her strict and rigorous training and ingrained understanding in the lessons were beyond second nature to her, and yet the display before her was overtaking her well-disciplined judgement.
A curly-haired human who she had heard name Aradin, shouted at an older tiefling named Zevlor, in a heated exchange after her and her companions had stumbled across a crowd being chased by goblins. An argument wouldn't usually catch her interest to this capacity, especially when time was not on her side. But Zevlor was like her, one of her kin.
Sweat beaded on her forehead as she felt her already high internal temperature start to rise even further, her piercing eyes glaring at the human who was not being careful with his words. His jabs at the elder tiefling were dancing into dangerous territory, one not based on judgement of his actions, but of what he was. She had walked into the situation late, only being able to grasp some of the details of the conflict. It involved a group of tieflings not opening the gate for the three human warriors, and how they had lost a druid in the process.
"Gods forbid you risk your precious tail, but I shouldn't be surprised, foulbloods aren't known for courage." Aradin spat, his voice dripping in taunting malice.
Jeha could feel Gale and Shadowheart's eyes like a weight staring at the back of her head; she noticed Astarion shift uncomfortably from her peripherals. That word had ignited something inside her, all self-control fading away as pure rage consumed her better judgement. Her fists clenched at her sides, shaking from exertion as she took a bold step forward, her teeth bared in disgust. Aradin was too busy smugly regarding the Zevlor to noticed Jeha close the distance between them.
Foulblood.
Aradin turned his head in her direction at the last minute, causing Jeha's fist to collide squarely with his nose. She felt the cartilage and nasal bone crunch underneath her knuckle, his head snapping backward and his body collapsing onto the ground from the force. The world appeared to move in slow motion, her body moving faster than her mind could register what she had done. Her senses cleared as her focus narrowed in on Aradin's crumbled figure, down in the dirt and clutching his nose, wailing as blood gushed from behind his hands. She repositioned herself, her own expression displaying how astonished she was at herself, matching the mixed expression of shock and satisfaction on Zevlor's face.
"Shit…" She heard Gale mumble behind her, his tone aghast.
"You broke my nose!" Aradin cried, his voice muffled behind his hands.
Jeha's anger returned at the sound of his voice, flaring within the pit of her stomach. This hadn't been the first time she had been exposed to this level of prejudice, but years of unkind words and torment had piled on and led to this very moment. She had lost control of her life in less than a week since being taken by the Nautiloid, and a parasite was implanted into her head. She needed to take back some sense of control and let her frustrations out.
"You do not call us that," Jeha warned, her tone low and dangerous, her breathing labored as she pointed a steady, sharp-nailed finger at Aradin.
Aradin glared up at her furiously. His glares were returned, the two of them glowering at each other until Zevlor interjected by addressing Gale and Shadowheart. She felt Astarion take a step forward, standing beside her. She turned to face him, watching him regard Aradin with a slightly detached expression. His red eyes met her own heterochromia-colored ones, a small smile curling at the corner of his lips. She braced herself for the inevitable sarcastic quip that was sure to follow.
"I don't think you struck him hard enough."
His response surprised her. She wasn't sure if her high emotions were causing her to misread his body language, but she swore she saw a flash of admiration or approval in his eyes. But as quickly as she spotted it, his facial expression instantly returned to his usual aloofness.
Within the walls of Emerald Grove tensions were just as high as they were at the gate.
Jeha did her best to center herself, breathing deeply and redirecting her ki to calm her rapidly beating heart. Within the walls she was pleasantly surprised to see so many tiefling refugees, especially Asmodeus tieflings like herself. A sense of familiarity and excitement momentarily gripped her, as she approached all kin to engage in conversations with them. Unfortunately, many of the tiefling were smug, on edge, or dismissive toward her as she questioned them about the conflict with the goblins, and why the druids wanted them to leave. Crestfallen, Jeha sat upon a mossy stone in the grove, feeling isolated and rejected as her attempts to establish any type of normalcy in her life had failed. She knew the road to curing herself and her companions was going to be a hard one, but she didn't picture this type of outlook. It had been so long since she had been among her own kind, but she understood the anxiety of being forced to leave while hostile goblins were waiting in anticipation to kill anything that happened to fall upon their path.
At the grove they had met a human monster hunter known as Wyll. He seemed level-headed and helpful, and was also plagued with an illithid tadpole. He suggested seeking out Kagha, the First Druid in charge of the grove while the Archdruid had been taken by the goblins. While headed toward the Ritual Room, a group of druids had blocked some tieflings from entering. Two tiefling parents cried about their daughter being trapped inside, fearing that Kagha would kill her. Jeha was also blocked, assumed to be with the rest of them. Her throat tightened, unable to reply right away. Gale and Wyll had stepped in, explaining the situation more intelligibly than she could at this moment.
Her meeting with Kagha was just as dreadful. Within her lair she cruelly reprimanded a young tiefling child named Arabella, accusing her of being a thief. A snake chased her, encircling the child as it coiled to strike. Another druid, Rath, intervened as he tried to stop her from commanding the snake to strike.
Rage began to bloom within Jeha's stomach again, her muscles tensing as all her earlier attempts at focusing her ki evaporated. Blind fury led to nothing but destruction and negative outcomes, yet the fervor clung to her like a leech. The druids ignored her presence as they spoke of the child; Kagha waved her wrist in dismissal in Arabella's direction. The anger mounted as the inside of Jeha's ears began to ring, she couldn't distinguish everything Kagha was saying, but she did hear her reprove toward Rath's sympathy.
"Parasites. Devils, nothing but a rot to be cleansed."
Similarly like with Aradin, Jeha's body was set into motion before her mind could react. She lunged toward Kagha, fists raised as ki channeled into her hands. Before she could strike someone pulled her back, snapping her back into reality as Kagha and Rath's attention was finally on them. Gale and Wyll held her back though she tried to resist for a moment. Shadowheart looked equally as disgusted at Kagha's words, as Astarion seemed more intrigued by the events unfolding before him.
"That's enough," Wyll hissed.
Jeha went to glower in his direction but softened as reality overtook her own narrow lens of fury, and began to subside. As deserved as it may be, striking Kagha would not make the situation easier for the tiefling refugees. She felt a bit of shame as she averted her eyes from Kagha's scowling gaze. Jeha could only hope now that Kagha was forgiving and would release Arabella, if not there was no negotiation that could happen between them.
Astarion's perspective
Observing his tiefling companion blunder through decisions as she struggled to navigate the illithid problem was painful to say the least. She wore her emotions so plainly on her face he could study her like a well-read book. If he didn't need her or the irritating tag-alongs they had picked up like strays on their "adventure", he would've made his departure from their group shortly after day one. He knew he had to swallow his pride and loathing for her extreme empathy and feign his ability to not express his disdain so outwardly.
She seemed driven to reach their current goal of dealing with the tadpoles, but her drive was constantly causing them to venture away from what they should be focusing on. Now they were on their way to save some exiled tieflings so they could remain in some grove? The very thought of the days to come made him groan, unable to suppress his eyes rolling as she adamantly agreed to help Zevlor.
He did quite enjoy how she had punched that dreadful human, watching him squirm and bleed on the ground had been entertaining.
But within the grove he had followed her around, she was so excited to speak to other tieflings only to see most of them disregard her. She looked so heartbroken; it was pathetic. He couldn't help but feel sorry for the miserable creature. Even worse, they had now added a monster hunter of all people to their mismatched group.
Kagha wouldn't yield, so that exchange ended in carnage. It was inevitable after Jeha's little stunt trying to attack her, but even after standing for what she believed in he could see the regret within her.
When the group set up camp as the sun began to set, she had grown very quiet and isolated. Astarion could tell killing wasn't something she was used to, fighting yes, but the life-ending violence had left her shaken after each experience. Even after her survival instincts proved successful, her kindness had caused her to falter afterward.
He knew he could use her kindness to his advantage. Jeha was well studied within history and her own personal monk philosophy, but she had an air of naivety about her.
As night fell on their camp, Astarion observed her from afar as she stared into the bonfire, her shoulders slouched in heaviness. That wizard Gale sat beside her, his words dripping with so much amiability it made him nauseous. Gale might have set his already eyes on her pretty little self, but that wouldn't stop Astarion from testing the waters for himself soon.
His hunger stirred within him, knowing he would have to quench his thirst soon before he could meditate while the others slept. Rats and wild boar could only get him so far, he was feeling absolutely famished after all the slaughter from earlier today. He laid down on his bedroll, pretending to already be in his elvish semiconscious trance. It took some time, but the tiefling eventually fell asleep.
Now it was time to make his move; now it was time to feed.
Jeha's perspective
As night fell upon their camp, Jeha remained awake as restlessness gripped her body. She sat up on her bedroll, the events of the day replaying in her head.
It all started as something they accidently stumbled upon, now it became a mission to find the goblin camp, rescue the Archdruid, and to keep the tieflings safe. Gale's words of encouragement had relieved some of her doubts and shame from her earlier actions, but not enough for sleep to come to her swiftly. The tadpole squirmed underneath her skull, she could feel it slither around, touching the furthest corners of her mind as it tried to connect to those around her who also were touched by the illithid curse.
She kept seeing Kagha's face, slack-jawed with blank eyes staring at nothing as she lay lifeless on the ground, blood pooling from the gaping sword wound in her gut caused by Jeha. Bile raised in her throat at the very sight of what she'd done, but worse was the judgement from her companions. She could practically feel their mixed emotions radiating from their bodies. She wasn't sure if it was the tadpole heightening the senses in her head, but her biggest fear of being looked upon as a monster was being realized.
She didn't remember exactly when she fell asleep, but it was not a gentle and restful sleep. Nightmares infested her dreams, her body tossing and turning as her consciousness stirred from her light dozing. Her tail twitched, her instincts commanding that her body fully awaken.
Something is wrong.
Jeha's eyelids flew open, her eyes instantly meeting Astarion's face, just inches above hers. His teeth were barred, displaying a set of sharp fangs. He instantly realized she was awake, backing off in ignominy as he peered down at her.
"Shit." He muttered.
Jeha went to jump up, her arms up in defense as Astarion quickly scrambled backward.
"No, no – it's not what it looks like, I swear!" He began.
Her brows furrowed, crossing her arms in discomfort at her own vulnerability. Her still-waking mind analyzed him in confusion, but it wasn't long before she finally pieced the puzzle together.
"I wasn't going to hurt you! I just needed, well, blood." He stated.
Jeha felt so foolish how she didn't see the signs before. The little he carried with him that included a cup of blood, him stalking around at night, his red eyes that were unusual for a high elf to appear naturally. It was unheard of how a vampire such as himself was able to walk freely exposed to the sunlight, but she held her tongue as she waited for him to explain himself.
"I'm not a monster. I feed on animals, boars, deer, kobolds – whatever I can get. I'm just too slow right now. Too weak. If I just had a little blood, I can think clearer. Fight better. Please." Astarion pleaded, his demeanor softening, his eyes glancing downward in shame.
The tadpoles in their minds connected, the two of them straining under forced telepathy as the strange sensation was shared between them. His mind unfolded before hers, flooding her senses with an overwhelming amount of information. She could feel his passion, she concluded that he had to be telling the truth. Jeha felt herself deflate, his desperation tugging at the compassion that naturally enveloped her own heart. She felt a pang of pity for him, knowing his sanguine cravings must have been more difficult than she could understand. He had also been the only one that didn't look upon her with apprehension after slaying the druid, so she felt that she owed him some grace.
"Why didn't you tell me?" She finally replied, her arms relaxing at her sides.
"At best I was sure you'd say no. More likely you'd ram a stake through my ribs. No, I needed you to trust me. And you can trust me." He emphasized.
"I do trust you."
Astarion exhaled in relief. "Thank you. Do you think you could trust me just a little further? I only need a taste, I swear."
The word 'taste' made her tail twitch ever so slightly, already knowing what he was asking of her. She glanced back at the other sleeping members of the group, blissfully unaware of what was happening right beside them. She turned back to face him as he waited for her answer.
Against any of her better judgement she agreed, he smiled at her, delighted. He instructed her to lay on her back, she obliged, staring upward at him from her bedroll.
What are you doing, Jeha?
Astarion climbed on top of her, propping himself up with his hands as the two of them locked eyes for a second. Her heart skipped a beat, perhaps out of fear or the proximity of another body brushing up against her own. She was glad her skin was such a deep shade of red, it masked the heat that was rising on the cheeks of her face as one of his hands delicately moved her locs from the right side of her neck to fully expose her skin. He suddenly bared his fangs again, sinking his teeth into her promptly without hesitation this time. The pain radiated sharply and abruptly like a shard of ice piercing her neck, but the sharpness soon faded into a dull throbbing sensation as he fed upon her. She clenched her teeth in reaction to the discomfort, letting out a grunted sough. Her pulse quickened; her breath caught as she struggled to keep her breathing steady and slow. It hadn't been that long, but she was starting to feel a bit dizzy.
"Astarion, that's enough, please…" She stammered, trying to sound as stern as possible.
"Mmh?" He grunted, gasping for air as he removed his teeth from her neck. "Oh, of course." He obliged, sitting all the way up to a standing position.
Jeha gripped the side of her neck, feeling the warmth of blood blooming underneath her palm. She went to stand sluggishly, her knees wobbling from underneath her. Her head pounded as she could feel her pulse in her neck, light-headed as she watched Astarion cheerily consider her.
"That was amazing," he commented, breathlessly. He wiped the side of his mouth with his fingertips, a droplet of her blood running down to his chin. "My mind is finally clear. I feel strong, I feel happy." He grinned broadly at her.
"I'm glad it was worth it," she replied, drily.
Jeha removed her palm from her neck, doing her best to keep pressure on the bleeding bite mark that throbbed relentlessly. The bleeding was already slowing, in the morning it would be congealed or a scab she hoped.
He smirked at her response. "Now, if you'll excuse me, you're invigorating, but I need something more filling." He turned on his heel, his movements brighter with a bit of pep in his step.
Jeha worked her jaw in frustration as she was left feeling woozy and sore. She had no idea what had come over her and why on Toril she would agree to such a thing. Why did she value his opinion and how he felt at all? She barely knew him; their first encounter was him holding a dagger to her throat.
She laid back down, feeling equally troubled but more exhausted than she was before.
Before Astarion could fully leave the camp to venture off into the woods, he halted in his tracks.
"This is a gift, you know. I won't forget it." He remarked, his tone genuine.
"You're welcome..." She muttered in response, too quiet for him to hear her. With heavy eyes she laid her head back down on the bedroll, sleeping coming to her faster than it had before.
Astarion's perspective
He disappeared into the forest, watching out for any unsuspecting animal that he could easily capture. He grinned to himself, the taste of her blood still on his lips as strength coursed throughout his body.
Tiefling blood wasn't the best tasting blood, it was more pungent and warmer than other creatures he had tasted. When he fed on Jeha his nose was pressed up against her skin, he couldn't help but inhale the scent of ash that naturally emanated from her body. She smelled like a hint of a burnt-out match, but he wouldn't call the odor completely unpleasant. He's had worse targets before, and it's not like it was something she could control.
Astarion had taken a moment to take in her appearance as she stared up at him with mystified eyes, there was a subtle sense of yearning in her body language. She was lonely, it had been some time since she had been pursued or touched, he could tell. She longed for physical contact – even if that physical touch meant being bit by a vampire spawn.
He chuckled to himself, fully wiping the remaining blood from his chin with the back of his hand. Lonesome and touch-starved targets were very easy to seduce and manipulate.
He knew he had her.